Date: Thu, 09 Nov 2000 10:55:32 -0800
Subject: Turkey
From: "Anthony Butler" 


Hi all,

second to last bulk email... Home soon. Not pleasing, but still pleanty
of fun to come.

For the last month we have been in turkey. We entered from Iran to a
town that most tourist call "Dogbiscuit". I can't pronouce it let alone
spell it properly. This was a beutiful small town at the base of Mt Arrat,
one of the legendary places Noah crashed his ark. There was also a cool
otoman castle overlooking the town.

It was strange being in a modern country and to see jen walkinga around
in trouseres without a headscarfe, her hair had really grown. We drank
beer and raki and went to kurdish bars. There was also a huge imporvemnt
in food compared to the rather boring Iranian "cello kebab"

After 2 days there and bumping into "John" (another tourist who we meet
on 4 seperate towns in Iran) we headed to Van Gulu (Lake Van). We stayed
at a small town called Tatvan. There we ate, drank and had turkish baths.
It was a very pleasant friendly place on the lake front and were rather
suprised when we later read the Lonely planet described  it as a drab
place with downcast people. Made the place nice as there were no tourist
at all there. Also the PKK put some people off this area.

While there we debated where to go in turkey, after much agonising about
visiting other eastern turkey towns with mosques and nice scenery we
decided to head straight to the coast. Antalya -mediterain touristvile.
I think we needed a break from mosques and sight seeing.

Unforunately it was off season there. All the hotels empty (so dirt cheap
for european luxury), cold (max 23-27c), the med was cooling off (25c
according to the newspaper). All the direst flight to Europe had stoped
for the season.

ACtually there were still heaps of Eurowennies there (40+ Germans in
inapproprate clothing) but we where told perhaps 10-20% of the numbers
in peak season. As such we found hotel where 1/3 marked price and the
water front restraunt had dropped there prices to keep some buisness.
So we stayed in luxery, ate and drank in hotel overlooking marinas etc.
Unfortunately the disco and water park where shut.

We we then moved to olympus and backpacker beach resort. Here we ran
into John again. Beutiful beach with greek ruins behind and natural gas
flames. Here we worked on our tans (jen's was face and hand only), then
booked a 4 day cruise to fethiye.

The cruise was with 5 other back packers (including John) on a 12 birth
"ship", but we had a crew of 3 to do everything. We swam, snorkled, ate,
drank. The crew cooked, sailed, fished. We sailed to beutiful beaches,
stopped
a small town. Swam/snorkeled around underwater ruins.

After this hard life we spent 3 days in fethiye doing nothing much. More
ruins, food, drink.

Feeling recharged from our "holiday on the med" we went to selcuk. This
time John came as luggage after having to many apple water pipes in fethiye.
Selcuk is ruin central for Turkey. Ephesus (rome's asian capital) is
3 km away, grave of St.John, chrurches, mosques, castles, retirement
house of the virgin mary. We also did 3 other cool ruined cities around
here very cool, not too many people.

Feeling a bit ruined out we decided to take on the trukish carpet salesmen...
We bought a 2.4x1.8m pure wool carpet. Having practiced our barging techniques
over the last few months we managed to pay only 140USD, better than most.
Actually we had fun. He quickly realised that telling stories about made
in small village, "expenisve design", "cost price" merely produced amused
looks. It was also usefull that poeple out east and in iran had told
us a little about how much each carpet cost to make. We also got to use
our favourite scam... Nasty husband offers more than wife agreed in advance,
small agument... then they agree to accept your offer because they know
wife is about to drag you out of their shop.